Notes: This
rifle is based on the M-1 Carbine, turned into a bullpup assault rifle.It was designed for law enforcement; the .30 Carbine cartridge has decent
striking power and penetration, but not enough to accidentally shoot innocent
bystanders through walls or through the actual target of the weapon.The SM-1 retains only the action, feed system, and barrel of the M-1
Carbine; the rest is replaced by new parts, such as a synthetic bullpup stock
with a carrying handle topped by a MIL-STD-1913 rail, and another such rail
below the barrel.The controls are
made ambidextrous.The bolt is
strengthened and a firing pin safety is installed, as is a hinged ejection port
dust cover.The extractor and gas
system are improved, and a muzzle brake is installed on the barrel.Normally, this weapon is sold to law enforcement and civilians in
semiautomatic form, but law enforcement and military can also buy the SM-1 in
fully automatic form.

Twilight 2000
Notes: This weapon does not exist.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

SM-1

.30 Carbine

2.99 kg

10, 15, 30

$352

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

SM-1

5

2

1-Nil

4

1

2

45

IMI Galil

Notes: This is
an Israeli-built assault rifle, manufactured for domestic use and for export.
The Galil is known for its resistance to dirt even under the worst conditions
(it is, after all, based upon an AK-type weapon, the Finnish M-62); however, it
is also known to be a rather fragile weapon (especially the plastic parts and
bending barrels) that is damaged easily, and also weighs too much.The prototypes were tested in 7.62mm Kalashnikov, 5.56mm NATO and 7.62mm
NATO chamberings, but primarily only the 5.56mm NATO version survived, primarily
due to the lighter weight of both the resulting rifle and its ammunition; the
7.62mm NATO version is comparatively rare, and the 7.62mm Kalashnikov version
was not proceeded with beyond the early prototype stage.

The operation of
the Galil series is essentially almost identical to that of Kalashnikov series
assault rifles, modified for use with different ammunition, of course.The Galil ARM has several novel features, such as a bipod which doubles
as a wire cutter (for medium-gauge barbed wire at the thickest), a handguard
which can be used to open bottles (primarily to stop troops from bending the
lips of their magazines by using them
as bottle openers), ambidextrous fire selectors which are similar to the AK on
the right side of the receiver, but like those of an HK-built weapon on the
left, and a charging handle on the right side like that of the AK series, but
bent upwards to better facilitate ambidextrous operation.The sights consist of a hooded front sight and a rear diopter sight; in
addition, the sight mounts allow these sights to be folded down, and night
sights with tritium inlays raised when necessary. In addition, scope mounts may
be mounted on a bracket which attaches to the left side of the receiver, like
the Kalashnikov series.A FAL-like
carrying handle may be added to the Galil ARM when desired.Though an unmodified Galil can only use the 12-round, 35-round, and
50-round magazines designed for it, the Galil may also use M-16 magazines with
the addition of an adapter (which may be added by the user, and requires no
skill other than knowledge of how to do it).The handguard, pistol grip, and other non-metallic parts are made from
high-impact plastic (though early prototypes had a wooden handguard).

The standard
Galil is the ARM; it has an 18.1-inch barrel and a folding stock similar to that
of the FAL Para.The Galil SAR is a
carbine version of the ARM; it uses a 13.1-inch barrel, but has neither a bipod
nor a mount for a carrying handle.
It is otherwise identical to the ARM.The ARM (and the AR) can use a variety of US bayonets and
Kalashnikov-type bayonets.

The Galil MAR,
also known as the Galil Micro, is a CQB/PDW variant of the Galil, with a stubby
7.7-inch barrel.It was designed
for uses ranging from special operations to vehicle crews and rear area troops.The handguard is contoured at the front with a lip to prevent the
shooter’s hand from slipping in front of the barrel.Instead of steel, the stock of the MAR is made from aluminum alloy.A variant of the Galil MAR, the MAR Special, is modified for use by
special operations troops; it can accept a suppressor, use subsonic ammunition,
and has MIL-STD-1913 rails atop the receiver and on the handguard to allow the
use of various optics and accessories.It is otherwise identical to the standard MAR for game purposes.The MAR cannot mount a bayonet or an underbarrel grenade launcher, and
does not have the nifty bottle-opening handguard.

The Galil also
comes in a relatively rare chambering: 7.62mm NATO.This was first developed in response to the IDF’s request for a
heavier-caliber battle rifle for certain applications; however, the IDF largely
passed on the 7.62mm NATO version of the Galil, preferring to arm themselves
with proven surplus (and usually heavily-modified) designs firing the 7.62mm
NATO cartridge such as the US M-14 and the FN-FAL.They then tried marketing this heavier version overseas, but it had
little luck in the international market.It did, however, serve as the basis of the Galat’z Sniper Rifle.Both long-barreled (AR) and short-barreled (SAR) versions exist, and
except for the modifications required for the heavier caliber, they are
essentially identical to their assault rifle cousins.In addition, the 7.62mm version of the Galil typically feeds from a
proprietary 25-round magazine, though 20-round FAL magazines are also usable.The Hadar II is a heavily-modified version of the AR, originally intended
for police use, but later also sold as a civilian rifle.The primary differences are that the Hadar II is capable only of
semiautomatic fire, and the folding stock has been replaced with a
thumbhole-type wooden stock (of average-quality wood, but weatherproofed and
otherwise very well-finished).
Civilian versions sold in the US during the Assault Weapons Ban were normally
sold with 10-round magazines (though they could take the standard 25-round AR
magazines and FAL magazines) and had no flash suppressors.Police versions do have flash suppressors, but neither one have bayonet
lugs or bipods.

The Magal is a
modification of the Galil MAR, used for a short time by the Magav (Israeli
National Police).The police felt
that the standard Galil SAR, with its 5.56mm NATO ammunition, was too powerful
and it's ammunition over-penetrating, often exiting one victim and striking
another behind it.However, the
Magav still needed a weapon that could penetrate soft body armor, at least at
short range.Their solution was to
modify the Galil MAR, rechambering it for .30 Carbine ammunition, making some
ergonomic adjustments, and changing the construction somewhat. The new weapon
was called the Magal, and issued to the Magav starting in 1994. The Magal looks
externally like a short assault rifle that is based on the Galil MAR, but is
also greatly different in appearance.The handguard is rather large, made from reinforced polymer rather than
high-impact plastic, and deliberately increased somewhat in mass so that it can
be used as an impromptu clubbing instrument.The pistol grip assembly is built in a similar manner, and is also joined
to the receiver with a reinforced polymer bar.The folding stock itself is partially made from lighter high-impact
plastic.The top of the receiver
has a MIL-STD-1913 rail, along with backup iron sights like those of the Galil
MAR (modified for the .30 Carbine ammunition).

Complaints about
the Magal began almost immediately; the short barrel, barely adequate for 5.56mm
NATO ammunition, was equally unsuited for lower-powered ammunition like .30
Carbine.Jams and failures to feed
were quite common.In addition, the
weapon could not develop the energy to properly launch BTU rifle grenades, even
when equipped with the proper muzzle device.The 4000 Magals in the government’s order were built, but they were
largely handed down to the Civil Guard and certain conventional police units by
2001; the riot control-type police units reverted back to Galil MARs, CAR-15s,
and Colt Commandos early in 2001.
Another recipient of the Magal, the Israeli Civil Guard, largely went back to
their M-1 and M-2 Carbines, which the Magal was supposed to replace.

Though the Galil
was nonetheless considered a successful design, it did not enjoy wide issue in
Israel, mostly because the Israelis were sold mountains of M-16A1s, CAR-15s, and
later M-16A2s and M-4s at virtually no cost starting in the late 1960s.In fact, the Galil was more successful in a slightly modified form in
South Africa (the R-4 series), and was also sold to several African, South
American, and Asian countries.Even
semiautomatic civilian variants of the Galil have proven more successful.In the past few years, even the Israelis have been silently ditching the
Galil in favor of M-16 series weapons, particularly the M-16A3/4 and the
M-4/M-4A1, and more recently, the Tavor bullpups.Despite the fact that the Galil MAR is far stronger than the standard
Galil and is a more solid weapon, it was never really accepted by the Israeli
military, and it was not produced in large numbers.

While the Galil
was built in a number of semiautomatic civilian and police versions almost since
the military version had been fielded, most of its customers were in the US,
where they were eventually banned during the period of the ill-conceived Assault
Weapons Ban.These civilian/police
Galils were generally built in Israel and marketed through various American or
European import companies.However,
the Israelis almost completely stopped the manufacture of these civilianized
Galils when the Assault Weapons Ban went into effect, and after its sunset, and
IMI was unwilling to resume production (as was Columbia, the last known country
to have a license to produce both military and civilian Galils; their license
expired in 2006, and they did not renew it).However, in 2006, a US company, Century International Arms, purchased a
license to make and sell civilianized Galils.These versions of the Galil were christened the Golani Sporter by Century
International, are now being sold.
They are almost identical to earlier civilianized Galils, but use an 18-inch
barrel, and are chambered only for 5.56mm NATO.Their receivers and barrels are strengthened somewhat to allow the use of
the various wildcat 5.56mm rounds that are popular in the US, ranging fom slow
rounds with heavy bullets to extreme hotloads.While the Golani Sporter has the traditional Galil AK-type lever selector
switch on the left side (minus the auto setting, of course), it also has a
smaller thumb selector on the right side above the pistol grip.The chargins handle has a 90-degree bend in it, which makes it easier to
grasp and pull.The rear sight has
been moved to the top of the receiver cover, and has flip-type aperture sights
with an additional blade with a tritium inlay that may be flipped up to make the
day sight into a night side.The
front sight is standard Galil, but also has a flip-up post with a tritium inlay.Operation is nearly the same as the Galil, but has improvements
increasing reliability and making the Golani Sporter easier to maintain and
strip.The Handguard and pistol
grip are made from stronger polymer than the standard Galil’s plastic, and the
handguard also has an aluminum heat shield inside of it.Instead of a flash suppressor, the barrel is tipped with a short muzzle
brake.The Golani Sporter has no
bipod.Otherwise, the Golani
Sporter is pretty much a Galil.

The ACE is an
attempt to modernize and improve upon the Galil.It is essentially an AK in polymer instead of wood furniture. They have a
plethora of MIL-STD-1913 rails – above the receiver, on all four sides of the
handguards, above the gas block bridging over to the upper handguard (the
handguards of an ACE are rather short).It has an A2-type flash suppressor – the ACE 31 has an 8.5-inch barrel,
while the ACE 32 has a 16-inch barrel.Both have a sliding stock. Operation is by gas piston.The target audience of the ACE is countries using primarily the AK, but
whose AKs are getting long in the tooth or who desire a more up-to-date firearm,
but not want to buy hoards of new ammunition. However, IMI did actually put some
5.56mm-firing ACEs on the market, the ACE-21, ACE-22, and ACE-23.These are basically built the same as the ACE-31/32, but have 8.5-inch,
13-inch, and 16-inch barrels, respectively.Newer versions, the ACE-51, 52, and 53, fire 7.62mm/.308 ammunition. The
charging handle is moved to the left side of the receiver allowing for weak hand
operation.Much more of the rifles
are made of polymer than the standard Galils, making for relatively lighter
weapons. Civilian, semiautomatic versions, with 16-inch barrels only, are also
made, and have sold well in the US, Israel, and Western Europe.

Twilight 2000
Notes: Though the Galil is a reliable weapon, and scored points for that, the
fragility of the Galil meant that it got discarded in favor of other weapons.Though weapons similar to the MAR were produced on an ad hoc basis during
the Twilight War, true production MARs were small in number.The late 1990s and early 2000s clashes between the Palestinians and the
Israelis would either not have taken place at all or would have been met with
much more force in the Twilight 2000 world.The Magal would thus probably not be built in the Twilight 2000 timeline.In addition, the Golani Sporter does not exist in the Twilight 2000
timeline, nor does the Galil ACE series.

Merc 2000 Notes:
The Galil MAR weapon has been exported to unknown parties in addition to
standard Galils, but aside from limited sales to countries already using the
Galil, there are no official sales.
For different reasons, the Palestinian-Israeli violence would probably also be
met with more force in the Merc 2000 world, and the Magal would be unlikely to
have been built.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

Galil ARM

5.56mm NATO

4.35 kg

12, 20, 30, 35, 50 Drum

$1036

Galil AR

7.62mm NATO

5.55 kg

20, 25

$1558

Galil SAR

5.56mm NATO

3.75 kg

12, 20, 30, 35, 50 Drum

$555

Galil SAR

7.62mm NATO

5.27 kg

20, 25

$1006

Galil MAR

5.56mm NATO

2.95 kg

12, 20, 30, 35

$499

Magal

.30 Carbine

2.76 kg

15, 30

$330

Hadar II

7.62mm NATO

4.35 kg

10, 20, 25

$1030*

Golani Sporter

5.56mm NATO

4.2 kg

5, 10, 20, 30, 35, 50 Drum

$650

ACE-31

7.62mm Kalashnikov

3.05 kg

10, 20, 30, 40, 75 Drum

$806

ACE-32

7.62mm Kalashnikov

3.46 kg

10, 20, 30, 40, 75 Drum

$878

ACE-21

5.56mm NATO

3 kg

12, 20, 30, 35, 50 Drum

$559

ACE-22

5.56mm NATO

3.35 kg

12, 20, 30, 35, 50 Drum

$605

ACE-23

5.56mm NATO

3.4 kg

12, 20, 30, 35, 50 Drum

$637

ACE-51

7.62mm NATO

3.48 kg

5, 10, 20, 25

$935

ACE-52

7.62mm NATO

3.89 kg

5, 10, 20, 25

$981

ACE-53

7.62mm NATO

3.95 kg

5, 10, 20, 25

$1013

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

Galil ARM

5

3

1-Nil

5/6

2

5

48

(With Bipod)

5

3

1-Nil

5/6

1

3

62

Galil AR

5

4

2-3-Nil

6/7

3

8

67

(With Bipod)

5

4

2-3-Nil

6/7

2

4

87

Galil SAR (5.56mm)

5

3

1-Nil

4/5

2

5

29

Galil SAR (7.62mm)

5

4

2-3-Nil

5/6

3

8

43

Galil MAR

5

2

1-Nil

3/4

2

6

11

Magal

5

2

1-Nil

3/4

3

7

14

Hadar II

SA

4

2-3-Nil

7

4

Nil

67

Golani Sporter

SA

3

1-Nil

4/6

2

Nil

47

ACE-31

5

3

2-Nil

5

2

5

16

ACE-32

5

4

2-Nil

4/6

3

7

44

ACE-21

5

2

1-Nil

3/4

2

4

14

ACE-22

5

3

1-Nil

4/5

2

4

29

ACE-23

5

3

1-Nil

4/5

2

4

40

ACE-51

5

3

2-Nil

4/5

4

9

15

ACE-52

5

4

2-Nil

5/6

4

9

32

ACE-53

5

4

2-3-Nil

5/6

4

9

44

*For civilian versions without flash suppressors, subtract $12.

IMI TAR-21 Tavor

Notes: This
feisty bullpup was designed as a replacement for the Galil and M-16 series.The result is similar to the South-African Vektor assault rifle series
(and the Israelis and South Africans often collaborate on arms projects).The TAR-21 (Tavor Assault Rifle) is a 5.56mm NATO-firing selective-fire
bullpup, very compact (only 73 cm), yet easier to use than the British L-85 or
Austrian Steyr AUG bullpup rifles. The Tavor is now produced by IWI (Israeli
Weapons Industries), which was formerly a subsidiary of IMI, but is now a
semi-independent company.

The TAR-21 has
ambidextrous controls and can use a variety of night-vision devices and
telescopic sights; standard is the ITL MARS, which is a reflex/collimator
red-dot sight with an integral laser aiming module below it.The soldier can also attach the types of night vision goggles by the
Israelis directly to the sight unit.This sight unit is mounted on a short MIL-STD-1913 rail located directly
above the trigger group, and the unit may be completely removed and replaced
with other optics as desired.There
are no conventional iron sights, though rudimentary emergency sights are located
on the sight housing. The TAR-21 may use any sort of M-16 magazine, and may be
fitted with the M-203 or M-203PI (and several other underbarrel grenade
launchers), as well as use NATO- or Israeli-pattern rifle grenades. The TAR-21
uses an 18.1-inch barrel tipped with an M-16A2-type flash suppressor.
Construction of the shell of the rifle is largely of green or black polymer,
with steel reinforcement bars at strategic places.Field stripping is done by pulling the operating parts out as a unit from
the hinged buttplate.Except for
the ejection port, the operating parts of the TAR-21 are otherwise completely
enclosed and quite resistant to dirt.The Tavor has an ejection port on either side of the rifle, one of which
is sealed; this allows for the operating system to be reversed for use by right
or left-handed shooters.There are
similar charging handle slots on both sides of the weapon as well.To a point, operation is similar to a combination of the M-16 and AK
series, but most of it is the result of new research.A recent addition to the Tavor line, the TC-21, is a carbine variant,
equipped with a 16.1-inch barrel.
It is otherwise outfitted the same as the standard TAR-21 assault rifle.

The CTAR-21,
also known as the Tavor Commando, is also sort of a carbine version of the
TAR-21, with 15-inch barrel and accompanying shorter handguard section.The CTAR-21 may not mount a standard M-203 grenade launcher, but can
mount the M-203PI and most other NATO-compatible underbarrel grenade launchers.(It does, however, get a bit clumsy to handle with an underbarrel grenade
launcher attached.)Unlike the
TAR-21, the CTAR-21 cannot mount a bayonet.

The MTAR-21,
also known as the Micro Tavor or the Tavor Micro, uses an even shorter 9.84-inch
barrel, and is primarily meant for use by special operations, bodyguards,
vehicle crews and in CQB.The Micro
Tavor is so short and well-balanced that it can actually be fired with one hand
(though not with nearly the accuracy as two-handed firing).The handguard section is quite abbreviated, and the barrel barely
protrudes from them; nonetheless, the same M-16A2-type flash suppressor is used
so muzzle flash is very large and bright.This short barrel and handguard also means the Tavor Micro cannot mount
underbarrel grenade launchers, use rifle grenades, or mount bayonets.A parts kit is also available to turn the Micro Tavor into 9mm
submachinegun, which uses Uzi magazines (in a pinch, Glock 9mm Parabellum
magazines can also be used with the MTAR 9mm), and may use a standard or a
barrel with an integral silencer.
(Early prototypes were tested chambered for .40 Smith & Wesson and .45 ACP, but
IMI decided not to go ahead with those chamberings.) This version is known by
many names: MTAR-21 9mm, MTAR 9mm, MTAR Submachinegun, and a few others.Other than modifications necessary for the change in ammunition and the
lack of a flash suppressor, the MTAR 9mm is otherwise outfitted the same as the
MTAR-21 (as I will refer to it in these pages).Though the MTAR 9mm is actually a submachinegun, it is included here for
completeness.

The STAR-21 is
version of the TAR-21 assault rifle is designed for platoon sharpshooters.The basic TAR-21 is modified with match-grade parts, a bipod, a longer
MIL-STD-1913 rail, a padded butt, and an adjustable, folding, lightweight bipod.It is liked for its compact size and light weight, but not used for
serious sniping due to the limits of its ammunition; its job is instead to
fulfill the role of Designated Marksman Rifle.The STAR-21 also uses an 18.1-inch barrel, but of better quality than
that found on the TAR-21 assault rifle version.

First issue of
the Tavor series to Israeli units began in 2003, though reportedly operational
testing had been conducted in actual combat as early as 2001.By the time of this writing (Late February 2008), it is estimated that as
many as a third of the M-16-series rifles in the IDF have been replaced by the
TAR-21 series.

The
Indians have placed an order for up to $20 million worth of MTAR-21-type rifles,
ammunition and accessories; deliveries began in 2007.There are also some unconfirmed rumors that the Indians may be interested
in partially replacing their AKMs and INSAS rifles with other members of the
Tavor series. The Indian version of the MTAR-21, which they call the Zittara, is
a bit different than the IMI MTAR-21 and is covered in the Indian Assault Rifles
section.

The newest
member of the Tavoir series is the X-95.It comes in several versions and calibers, and it comes with many
accouterments and adapters for use with most equipment and enhancements used by
Special Operations personnel today.
It is used by Indian SF as well as most of the Israel Ground Defense Force
today.The X-95 is available in its
standard chambering of 5.56mm, as well as 5.45mm, a round the IDF’s special
units are experimenting with these days, and 9mm, allowing the quick conversion
into a low-penetration submachineguns.It also allows the conversion of the X-95 into different calibers and
many weapon configurations easily, with minimal training. The X-95 SMG and X-95S
differ primarily in their attachment hardware for silencers, and are the same in
T2K rules.

MIL-STD-1913
rails are found on the upper receiver as well as the bottom of the handguards
and at the 10 and 2-o’clock positions.(As the X-95 is short, the rails are necessarily short as well; however,
they are adequate for most uses that special ops personnel encounter.)The top rail can be replaced by one that bridges the upper receiver and
the gas block; this makes necessary the removal of the front iron sight. The
barrel is threaded behind the flash suppressor; on the standard and S versions;
a special silencer was designed for use with the X-95. The flash suppressor is
similar to the A2 type.The
standard X-95 has a 13-inch barrel, while the L has a 16.5-inch barrel.The SMG and S use an 11-inch barrel.These barrels generally follow the lines of the Tavor in construction.

Twilight 2000
Notes:There may be some small
numbers of this weapon series around in the Twilight 2000 timeline, but is
unlikely that it will be found outside of Israeli hands.The TC-21 and MTAR 9mm do not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline, nor
does the X-95 series, and the standard sight is the ITL MARS for most purposes.

Merc 2000 Notes:After 2000, the Tavor became more and more common, both in Israel and in
other countries; after 2010, it almost seemed that Central America was being
overrun by military units carrying the Tavor and its variants.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

TAR-21

5.56mm NATO

2.8 kg

20, 30

$1116

TC-21

5.56mm NATO

2.75 kg

20, 30

$1095

CTAR-21

5.56mm NATO

2.7 kg

20, 30

$1084

MTAR-21

5.56mm NATO

2.4 kg

20, 30

$1030

STAR-21

5.56mm NATO

3.4 kg

20, 30

$1690

MTAR 9mm (Standard Barrel)

9mm Parabellum

2.42 kg

25, 32, 40

$1054

MTAR 9mm (Silenced Barrel)

9mm Parabellum

3.12 kg

25, 32, 40

$1194

X-95 Rifle/Carbine

5.56mm NATO

3.03 kg

20, 30

$1109

X-95 Rifle/Carbine

5.45mm Kalashnikov

3.03 kg

20, 30, 40

$1300

X-95L Rifle/Carbine

5.56mm NATO

3.2 kg

20, 30

$1157

X-95L Rifle/Carbine

5.45mm Kalashnikov

3.2 kg

20, 30, 40

$1122

X-95 SMG

9mm Parabellum

2.98 kg

25, 32, 40

$818

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

TAR-21

5

3

1-Nil

5

3

7

43

TC-21

5

3

1-Nil

4

3

7

36

CTAR-21

5

3

1-Nil

4

3

7

32

MTAR-21

5

2

1-Nil

3

3

7

16

STAR-21

5

3

1-Nil

5

2

5

45

With Bipod

5

3

1-Nil

5

1

3

59

MTAR 9mm (Standard)

5

2

Nil

3

1

3

23

MTAR 9mm (Silenced, Standard Ammo)

5

2

Nil

4

1

3

19

MTAR 9mm (Silenced, Subsonic Ammo)

5

2

Nil

4

1

2

18

X-95 Rifle/Carbine (5.56mm)

5

3

1-Nil

4

2

5

26

X-95 Rifle/Carbine (5.45mm)

5

2

Nil

4

2

4

34

X-95L Rifle/Carbine (5.56mm)

5

3

1-Nil

4

2

5

37

X-95L Rifle/Carbine (5.45mm)

5

3

1-Nil

4

2

4

42

X-95 SMG

5

2

1-Nil

3

1

2

30

“Sawn-Off” CAR-15
(Mekut’zrar)

Notes: The
Sawn-Off CAR-15 is basically a version of a standard Colt CAR-15, modified by
unit armorers and gunsmiths to use a radically-shorter barrel (usually about
9-10 inches.)These modifications
began in about the time of the 1987
Intifada, the Palestinian uprising against the Israelis.The first units to use these shortened weapons were new IDF and Police CT
undercover units, the Mistaravim; these units needed a short assault rifle with
decent firepower, but could still be hidden under civilian clothing or in bags
or backpacks with relative ease.
The existing Galil SARs were still a bit too bulky, the Galil MAR had not yet
entered service, and the Colt Commando version of the M-16A2 was in
extremely short supply.The sawn-off CAR-15s were later adopted by a few other IDF special
operations units, but throughout their short service with the IDF, remained a
very-limited issue weapon.It
should be noted that the name “Mekut’zrar” (a Hebrew slang term meaning “very
short”) was given to both the sawn-off CAR-15 and the Colt Commando.

As stated above,
the sawn-off CAR-15 used a very abbreviated 9-10-inch barrel.Adjustments to the gas system were made to improve reliability (with a
barrel shortened below 11 inches, the Stoner gas system becomes very
unreliable).Unfortunately, there
is only so much one can do with the Stoner gas system, especially as the barrel
lengths get shorter and shorter, without having to undertake a radical redesign
of the gas system itself.In
addition, the weapon was given a different flash suppressor, a modified version
of the larger one found on the Galil SAR.While not as effective as an actual muzzle brake, it is somewhat more
effective than the standard M-16-type flash suppressor, while not having the
bulk (or expense) of actual muzzle brakes available for the CAR-15 at the time;
the short barrel coupled with the need to
not shorten the gas tube any further also made mounting the standard CAR-15
muzzle brake very difficult.
Modifications were also made to the sliding stock to allow it to retract even
further.

The biggest
downfall of the sawn-off CAR-15 was that it was a handmade,
ad hoc modification, done at the unit
level and without any of the quality controls of an actual production weapon.Pretty much, no two were alike.They were inherently unreliable due to the limitations of the Stoner gas
system, and could not be repaired quickly.Poor reliability is a severe deficit in the CQB combat for which the
sawn-off CAR-15 was meant (to say the least), and the shooter could pretty much
forget about hitting a target beyond 100 meters or so without undue aiming.The nature of the modifications also added a small measure of fragility
as well as unpredictability in performance.And, while the unit armorers of special operations units are more skilled
than the average military armorer, they still were nowhere near as capable as an
actual factory producing such a weapon.Therefore, the sawn-off CAR-15, even in its informal role, were
essentially banned for use by IDF or Israeli Police less than a decade later;
they were replaced by the Colt Commando, Galil MAR, and later, the TAR-21
series.Most present users of the
sawn-off CAR-15 are therefore very senior officers, primarily as a status symbol
– and they are frowned upon by their peers for setting a bad example for their
troops.

Twilight 2000
Notes: This is another of those interesting examples of
ad hoc-type weapons that would be
encountered here and there in the Twilight 2000 timeline.